Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs look like BAMF’s
With no pre-season games, no fans attending practise and the media severely limited in what they can report — it’s pretty hard to analyse anything that’s going on during Seattle’s training camp. That said, I’m going to offer a few thoughts on some topics as the season draws closer.
Let’s slow the hype on Alton Robinson
There’s been a lot of buzz about how well Robinson has performed. Pete Carroll has highlighted him and the local media have been suggesting he’s been a standout performer so far. This is all good news given the state of Seattle’s D-line.
However, there’s an important point to remember here. We’re only two years removed from Rasheem Green having a really productive pre-season. On debut against the Colts he finished with 1.5 sacks, three hurries and seven tackles. Carroll proudly stated after the game:
“He’s come to us with real good style, he’s got real good hands. I was just fired up it showed up in the game.”
Yet Green’s first season in the league was a flop. He had only one sack all year.
Frank Clark equally had a fantastic pre-season as a rookie. Against Oakland he forced a sack/fumble that was recovered for a touchdown.
Clark battling Lockett for preseason MVP honors.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) September 4, 2015
Again though, when the season started, Clark struggled to make an impact. That wasn’t entirely his fault. He was playing behind Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril for a start, on a team that had just lost the Super Bowl. Even so — his great summer didn’t translate to an impactful rookie campaign where he finished with just three sacks.
None of this means Robinson can’t have a great rookie season but it’s worth noting that young Seattle pass rushers have a tendency to flash in camp and then go through a steep learning curve when the real games start.
Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs look the part
There’s something to be said about the visual nature of a team. I watched a bit of ‘Rain City Redemption’ last night. The Seahawks looked as physical as they played. Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Browner, Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Breno Giacomini. There was a spine of the team that just embodied physicality and toughness.
That has to have an impact. I think there’s something to be said for the ‘get off the bus’ look to a team. You want an opponent to be wary of facing you. In this most physically and mentally demanding of games, any slight edge is crucial.
It has to go along with talent, of course. The LOB era Seahawks had plenty of that too. They had a nice blend overall.
During this reset the Seahawks haven’t really had enough of those physical players. They’ve been the ones pushed around by teams at times. Look at the way the Rams have handled them or the defeats to Baltimore and New Orleans last year. They didn’t have enough of a physical edge.
You can still levy that at the 2020 Seahawks. In particular on both lines — there’s a distinct chance several offensive and defensive linemen will have their lunch money stolen this season.
However, credit where credits due, Adams and Diggs look like a terrific, formidable force in the secondary. They look different to the other players on the roster. They embody the tough attitude the Seahawks have been missing for too long. Teams will not enjoy trying to attack Seattle’s secondary as a consequence of their presence. With Marquise Blair also known for his hitting, the defense could finally return to the punishing unit Carroll craves.
That said — and this will be the dynamic with this team until the problem is solved — you’ll never get the full benefit of this if opposing quarterbacks have all day in the pocket and you can’t create pressure up front.
Can Ethan Pocic be Justin Britt II?
Pocic was a surprise pick in 2017 for many reasons. He was a pure center at LSU and looked like a center too. Everything about his playing style suited the position. He wasn’t an amazing athlete or a power blocker. He was technically sound, contained opponents off the snap and held his ground.
When he was picked I remember thinking they were planning for life without Justin Britt — who was coming to the end of his contract. Yet later in the year Britt signed a whopping extension. Suddenly the Pocic pick made little sense. They tried him at right tackle to start his first camp, quickly moved him to guard and there he stayed.
His career has never really taken off. He’s struggled with strength and he simply didn’t fit at guard or tackle.
So why has it taken until year four to finally shift him back to center?
It was weird listening to Carroll explain that he’d ‘always thought it was his best position’ the other day. Really? So why not, you know, actually play him there? What was the thought process with the pick? Select a guy you felt could be versatile, leave him struggling without a set position and then reveal you saw him as a center all along?
Pocic must wonder what life would’ve been like had he landed somewhere else and actually been given a proper shot at center earlier in his career.
Hopefully, as was the case with Britt, this late shift will be the catalyst to a career revival. Britt looked like he was going to be cut and was given a chance to compete at center almost as a last act. Yet he excelled, won the job and was a pillar of consistency for a long time until injury ended his spell in Seattle.
If Pocic doesn’t perform well, however, this could become a big problem for the Seahawks. B.J. Finney was signed in the off-season presumably with the intention of winning this job. Yet, as was the case throughout his time in Pittsburgh, he seems to be settling into a backup role. It’s not a glowing review of the situation that he’s not separated from Pocic or indeed even ahead of him.
Solidity at center is key. The Seahawks obviously have the potential to simply re-sign Britt when he’s healthy again if needed. They’ll hope that isn’t necessary.
Greg Olsen could be a god send
The Seahawks have always looked a better team with a tight end who can consistently make plays. They don’t need a player you need to feed the ball to (Jimmy Graham). The offense calls for a playmaker and safety net though. Zach Miller played that role beautifully as has Will Dissly when healthy.
Dissly’s injuries the last two years set back the offense. They lost a limb and had to make do afterwards. He’s back and hopefully won’t suffer another gut-wrenching injury in 2020. Having Olsen as a partner in crime, however, gives the Seahawks the kind of security they’ve never had before.
Olsen’s experience, savviness and blossoming connection with Russell Wilson (per reports) could be a big plus. You need a lot of weapons on offense in the modern NFL. Olsen might be in the twilight of his career but he’s always been the consummate pro.
He’s not going to be Travis Kelce or George Kittle but he doesn’t need to be. He just needs to make some third downs, score a few touchdowns, provide some leadership and allow this offense to function to the best of its abilities.
The Carlos Hyde signing is also important
I think everyone feels sympathy with Chris Carson currently. He’s dealing with a family issue and hasn’t been practising much during training camp as a consequence.
That said, he’s a player coming off a fairly serious injury and the missed time might not be entirely conducive with him hitting the ground running this season. Carson has had an injury plagued career too.
The wheels fell off Seattle’s offense when Carson and Rashaad Penny both got hurt at the end of last season, leading to the dramatic return of Marshawn Lynch. It seems plausible even at this early stage that Carson might not be 100% immediately or could get hurt as he tries to reach 100%.
Hyde is an above average running back who can carry the load for a team. To have him as insurance on the roster increasingly looks like a wise move. I’m not sure what the odds are on him finishing as Seattle’s leading rusher in 2020 but it’s probably worth five bucks.
The Seahawks still need another receiver
This is a brutal pre-season for young players and many are going to need to hope they get another shot next season to show what they can do. That said, teams like the Seahawks — with ambitions of being a contender — are going to equally have to accept the situation.
They can’t really afford to ‘find out’ what the likes of Freddie Swain and Cody Thompson can do. David Moore can be inconsistent but at least he’s familiar with the quarterback, the offense and he’s made plays in the league.
They’ve brought in Phillip Dorsett and talked up his speed and potential and there’s also a chance John Ursua gets a bigger opportunity in 2020. However, it feels like the Seahawks need to add another proven, reliable receiver.
One injury to Tyler Lockett or D.K. Metcalf and you’re basically relying far too much on younger players and your tight ends. They need a third wheel, someone who can realistically fill the void if one of the top two go out.
That’s why I think they were linked with Antonio Brown until confirmation of his suspension (and they might return to that weeks down the line). It’s why I think they’d still like to add Josh Gordon if that’s possible. Bob Condotta brought up the name of Paul Richardson today as another option.
Don’t be surprised if they add Richardson just to give themselves that little bit more security going into the season.
Damien Lewis is getting a lot of praise
If you missed it in April, here’s my interview with Lewis:
I found him to be humble, passionate for the game and full of the grit the Seahawks seek. I thought he was a top-50 prospect in the draft and the Seahawks got a steal getting him in round three. He was superb for LSU and terrific at the Senior Bowl too.
He’s earned rave reviews so far from his team mates and that’s a big plus. The Seahawks need some long term pieces on their O-line. Bruce Irvin singled him out for praise during his press conference yesterday.
He’ll have a big test against Atlanta’s D-line in his first game — but it’s going to be fun to see how his career develops in Seattle.
The Jordyn Brooks pick still feels like a head scratcher
Like Adams and Diggs, there’s something about Brooks in the way of intensity, thick frame and attitude. I can see why NFL teams were attracted to him as a high-ish pick for that alone.
Yet as we sit here today with virtually zero chance of him starting as a rookie, I can’t help but wonder what the thought process was? Did they really draft a WILL linebacker of the future in round one?
K.J. Wright is going to start. They’ve pretty much spelled that out. Bruce Irvin is the SAM. So barring injuries, this is basically going to be a redshirt season for Brooks.
Is the WILL spot really that important?
When you look at the alternatives in the draft, the picture becomes even murkier. They said they liked Darrell Taylor so much they almost took him in round one. Yet by not doing so, they then had to trade up in round two. All for the benefit of acquiring a WILL of the future.
There was a supreme collection of talented running backs available. That would’ve saved money because they wouldn’t need Carlos Hyde and they’d have greater flexibility in terms of what to do regarding Chris Carson’s contract next year.
There were a cluster of good offensive lineman available. Imagine pairing Damien Lewis with either the brilliantly physical Robert Hunt or his LSU team mate Lloyd Cushenberry. Or they could’ve moved up a handful of spots to get Cesar Ruiz.
If Brooks goes on to become a fantastic player in the future nobody will question the pick. That kind of has to happen though — otherwise what possible justification is there for taking a WILL of the future when there are so many long term question marks at other positions on the roster?
And let’s not forget — they’re already paying Wright and Bobby Wagner nearly $25m combined this year. In the 2019 draft, they also traded up for Cody Barton.
Second and third tier players need to step up
The Seahawks clearly have good players but for too long now the second and third tier guys haven’t added anything. There’s been a distinct lack of development and progress year-in, year-out.
A winning team always needs a handful of people to step forward. In 2013 for example, the Seahawks had Malcolm Smith, Clinton McDonald, Jermaine Kearse and Byron Maxwell.
They’ve found players who contributed as rookies — D.K. Metcalf and Will Dissly for example. So it’s not that they can’t find talent that is ready to play. Yet they’ve not managed to polish the raw diamonds and find guys that can take a big step and elevate their performance after some seasoning.
They desperately need that in 2020 especially if they don’t do anything else to the D-line. The problem is they’re practically relying on the likes of Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier and Marquise Blair. They have to perform or else. They are no longer second or third tier hopefuls. They’re starters. Slow progress isn’t an option.
They still need to sign Jadeveon Clowney
Look — you might find this repetitive. It is repetitive. Yet it’s simply a fact that the Seahawks run the serious risk of wasting a lot of potential on this roster by trotting out a wretched D-line.
They have a quarterback in his prime, they’ve invested massive amounts into their linebackers and safeties. They just traded their life savings away in an attempt to win now. Not next year — right now.
And yet it’s a massive contradiction for all of these things to be true and the Seahawks D-line to remain in the state it’s in.
Clowney won’t fix an entire line by himself. He’s an impact player though capable of providing an X-factor up front. Those types matter come playoff time or come NFC West time. We saw that against San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Everyone has been entrenched for months. Clowney won’t take anything less than the figure he has in his mind. The Seahawks and the rest of the NFL aren’t going up to that number.
Yet it’s nearly September now and all parties have exhausted this saga to the maximum. Seattle needs Clowney more than he probably needs a one-year contract to play this season. If you’re going to roll the dice on a safety in a big trade it’s time to roll the dice on a contract for the one dynamic D-liner available on the market.
Clay Matthews isn’t going to cut it I’m afraid.
The Seahawks with Clowney have a shot. The Seahawks without Clowney look like a team who will make the playoffs as a wildcard, lose in the first couple of rounds and we’ll point the finger at one of the worst pass rushing units in the league and have the same off-season conversation we’ve had for the last two years.
If it takes a 2-3 year deal that carries some risk to get this done, wouldn’t you rather roll that dice than take a punt on the current D-line not costing you a season?
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Awesome article. I largely feel the same way. I can’t wait to see the back 7 defense play. It seems to be mixing experience and talent in a way we haven’t seen in a while. We need Clowney. I won’t say anything else except that there seems to be growing chatter on the fringes so maybe something imminent. I’m hopeful for a guy like Green. He hasn’t done too much yet but I hope for some growth from these 2 and 3 year players. Its one of the biggest ways to help this team.I am also pumped to see this 2 tight end group. It’s been a long summer. I think we would all do well to just see these guys play already.
Have we heard a single thing about Collier or Green this preseason? I’m not trying to be a wise guy. I’m actually asking. What is going on with these guys?
Can’t decide whether that’s a good thing or not.
I’d like to hear that Collier is ticked off. He said this summer he felt disrespected by ones who called him a bust. Is that fire there now when it comes time to put the pads on? Or were his little feelers hurt?
Very little. Carroll offered what felt like forced praise for Collier after a couple of days of camp but it seemed more of a confidence boost than anything. Green — very little. Mayowa — very little. Taylor — still out.
This is not good.
I’ve heard some genuine praise for Mayowa, but I agree with you on Green and especially Collier. The only times that they’ve really been brought up is when they have been specifically asked about and the answer is just a token, ‘yeah, he’s okay’.
There was some praise for Mayowa day one or day two. Crickets since.
True. I think he is better than expected, but probably not genuinely ‘good’. And probably still role-player status.
Duane Brown praised Mayowa a couple days ago as did Irvin yesterday.
I guess everything’s peachy then.
Joe Fann wrote about Alton’s weight gain and that he might move over to 5tech and push those two.
Way, way too soon to think about that, but I took it more as a comment on Collier and Green’s non-impact as Alton hype.
I saw that tweet and think it was just 2+2=5.
You’ve captured alot of different issues and positive elements of the team. I think the big question marks are more on offense. Specifically whether a patched together offensive line (again) can support a hall of fame quarterback and the running game. Wilson likes to scramble – how long will the pocket hold up? How much of a running game will you get out of this group?
But more importantly, who in the offensive line do you think will still be on the team in two years? What is the long term replacement plan? They need more draft picks like Lewis.
There are question marks on the offense but let’s be right here. We all know the biggest question mark is the D-line.
It’s not just about biggest problems, they got a whole team to worry about.
How long will they keep scabbing an offensive line together? It really isn’t fair to Wilson – and at some point he may even get hurt because of it.
It also isn’t fair when the coach is committed to running the ball and the offense sucks when they can’t run the ball because of inadequate blocking. It effects the way the whole offense plays.
Yes, it is about the biggest problems.
If you have one glaring problem that could easily end your season — you have to address it.
The O-line wasn’t great the last two years either but they were able to run the ball well and it didn’t come remotely close to being a season-ending issue. The D-line was and will be again unless something is done about it.
I HOPE that Shell will be > Ifedi…other than that, I am not too concerned about the Oline (other than Shell). As Rob pointed out before, Lewis will be a day one starter, and the depth behind in Guard is good (Simmons, Finney, Haynes…). At center, it’ll be pocic or Finney; if that turns into a Nowak situation, we bring back Britt. Once again…tackle depth sucks, so cross ur fingers on Shell.
D-Line is the issue; with no draft collateral to trade nor lots of cap in 2020, its Clowney or bust. Unfortuenately, JS/PC pushed all in and are now just waiting on the River card.
Well it’s been my contention that it would take two great defensive linemen to get the group to where the Seahawks would like to be. Clowney is better than what they got – but he isn’t the answer without more help.
Nobody’s saying he alone is the answer.
Everyone’s saying they are a LOT better with him and with him they have a chance to not be the worst DL in the league. Without him the season could be ended by the DL. With him at least you have a chance.
And I think we undervalue the signing of Irvin and Mayowa; IF Clowney comes back. Those two are WAY better than anything we marched out last year on his opposite side.
You sign Clowney and a cheap BIG 3 Tech vet, and this line is borderline good in my opinion. Not sure if PJ is the guy; I know I questioned Woods last year until I saw his ability to hold ground.
I think the 3 Tech will be a vet cut later this month; another Al Woods type of guy at ~2mish
‘Way better’ than a finished Ziggy Ansah is hardly a glorious achievement is it?
Mayowa is a replacement level player and a career backup. People have talked themselves into believing he is more than he is.
Mayowa comps extremely closely to Clemons at this stage. they both have similar weight, height, other testing times and Mayowa is in fact slightly more aathletic and excplosive. They are also the sme age(29) as Clemons when he was brought in and Maayowa upto this point has in fact been better and more productive .I’ve actually been hoping you’d do one of your deep dive comparisons between the two.
People want it to be a comp because they’re desperately trying to prop up what the Seahawks have done.
Clemons was a one in a million find. Just because Mayowa is 29 doesn’t mean they’re similar or that he can come to Seattle and be what Clemons was.
Mayowa is a career backup, replacement level player. He’s the type you rotate in behind your stars and hope he can chip in.
That’s it.
Mayowa comes out to Clemons more than just age. He comps out virtually the same physically and Clemons was a back up too with less production than Mayowa prior to the Seahawks trade.
I think Clowney should be added but not at making the argument that Mayowa is not a solid pick up or can’t replicate Clemons production. Stats and a Comps are favorable to that happening more than not.
Can’t argue with that. But then again, what choice do hawks fans have this time of year other than hoping he is a hidden gem?
That’s the only way of looking optimistically at the hawks right now. Blind faith and hope in a group that top to bottom is unproven, save maybe jarran reed, who may or may not be the impact guy we hope for. Bruce is a starter, but not a game wrecker. Mayowa? Hope. Collier? Hope. Green? Hope. The rookies? Hope. Ford? Hope. Mone? Desperate hope.
Any decent line has 3 proven starters. One of which, at minimum, is a game wrecker. Then they have backups and rookies they hope will in and add relief and take a step forward. We have 1.5 starters, no game wreckers, and a helluva lot of hope.
By all means hope for a hidden gem.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk realistically and honestly about what they actually have.
Once again, all my optimism in the current group is based on Clowney signing. That would give us a 2.5 starters with 1-2 game wreckers in Reed & Clowney. I don’t disagree the line is currently a mess, but a heck of a lot better than last year IF we sign Clowney.
I think you have summed up the current state of the roster perfectly.
Imagine if the Hawks had drafted Isiah Wilson instead of Brooks. The right side of the OL would have had the potential to be dormant for years to come. That cap space they used for Shell and Finney could have been used on this mess of a DL.
I hate to be that grammar guy but was “dormant” a freudian slip? Haha
If teams like SEA and TEN give Clowney a 2-3 year deal, its not going to be 17 million average, especially if they need the first year cap hit low. TEN has a more advantage standpoint in terms of having more cap space (22 million before IR and PS), but it sounds like their GM isn’t willing to pay the 17 million multi year nor the 1 year 15 mil ( I believe that is a peter king report?). I think TEN would probably give Clowney what Fowler Jr. got (3 yr 45 million), which SEA could afford with a 10 million year cap hit this year, 15 million next year, and 20 million in the final year. But if Clowney wants to hit FA next year, its going to be more likely 1 yr 10 million, with maybe TEN sweeting the pot a bit to 12 million. Writing is on the wall for Clowney. If he does sit out his situation won’t improve, but might get worse with a more restrictive cap next 2-3 seasons.
Oh in other news, Budda Baker is highest paid safety ( 4 yr 59 million), so Seattle is probably going to have Jamal Adams 16 million average.
If Clowney were willing to take 15m over one year, he’d be on our field practicing right now. He wants way more, and is waiting for the number on a multi year contract. Playing in 2020 on a 1 year budget contract is just stupid for a guy that could have so much to lose.
Prove you are durable to get an extra 3 m next year…great…get injured and end your career…. It is a 3-4 year deal he is looking at, and that is what JS is willing to do too.
Front Offices isn’t going to him give him 1 yr 15 million. He isn’t worth it at that price unless it was a multi-year deal. its either 1 yr 10 mil from SEA or 1 yr 12 mil from TEN. If he wants multiyear its going to be around Fowler Jr.’s contract (3 yr 45 mil). It’s decision time for Clowney, but in the end he lost as soon as he said he wanted 20 million average.
Why wouldn’t you give him 15m on a one year deal? Its no risk, and costs u no draft capital. If he were willing to sign a one year 15m contract, it would not be hard to generate the cap space; a simple cut of Moore and Hollister generates 4.3m after 2nd replacement signing. Why would he sign a cheap one year deal?? So he can get hurt and ruin his chances of a big pay day in 2021….
Because thats what the front offices value him at. They set the market for contracts, not players. If Clowney wanted a players market, he should have trained for basketball in high school and make his money that way.
I’m going to watch practice today online and then I have to prepare for Hurricane Laura, which appears will give my area north of Houston a direct hit. I do have a generator and plenty of food etc. However, we’re more concerned about the winds and tornadoes that go with these storms. Heck, we’re still recovering from Harvey here in Houston.
It’s suppose to hit overnight on Wednesday/Thursday. I’ll check back in (if we can)….
Stay safe Largent80!
Good luck Largent80 and stay safe. I’ve ridden out a few hurricanes in my day and definitely understand the concerns.
Good luck – FEMA money is harder to get now.
Stay safe
Good luck man! I don’t know why all these hurricanes keep missing me. They are ALWAYS headed towards Pensacola and then hook away like a Randy Johnson slider.
Thanks guys. I think we’re far enough west where we will be on the fringe or what they call the “dirty” side of it.
Hey Albert, we’re you Platypus over at .Net?
I’m about three hours inland (central MS) but living in the gulf is always interesting this time of year. Stay safe guys!
Most of my family lives in the area, Deer Park and Pearland, I’ll be thinking about you, stay safe
Hang in there and stay safe Rob.
Hey y’all, where I live n of Houston, we will be on the “clean” side of the storm which will be a cat 4 when it hits. What that means is we will get wind speeds a lot lower than on the right side or “dirty” side.
I am totally prepared as best as I could. This will hit about 1 in the morning so needless to say I won’t be getting much sleep. Picked a great week for sobriety….hahahaha.
Areas like Beaumont Tx. and Lake Charles La. are in for devastation unfortunately.
Still trying to figure out why we haven’t heard anything about Gordon yet. It is well past the 60 days the league is supposed to have to pass judgement. Hopefully we’ll find out soon.
Dorsett seems to be a legit WR3 but we need to see him healthy and in game action before knowing for sure.
DeeJay Dallas may also be a surprise if given the opportunity to play.
OC Schottenheimer Press Conf 8-25
Slot receivers, John Ursua’s growth & development & Swian ? “Ursua not detaled last year, this year on top of details, mentally making quick decisions. Extremely impressive. Playing more than thinking. More relaxed and comfortable. Freddy we liked, toughness and grit. A little where Ursua was last year. Multiple spots outside and inside. Competition is heating up. Mock game tomorrow good test.”
[Jen M] OL additions, ready? first team snaps mock game tomorrow? “Few position battles we’re working through. Guys added are veterans, Lewis great football instincts. Center battle both guys competing. Getting where they need to be? Getting there, calls and protections hasn’t been a problem. Will at some point finalize decision.”
[Curtis crab] Turning over 3 starters with no preseason? “zoom mtgs this spring attacked meetings. Made guys speak, lots of call-making, not just listening. Comfortable our guys understand what we’re trying to get done. Now that we’re back and working, different with live players. Making adjustments, passing off assignments. Reps seeing guys get more comfortable playing together. Shell terrific, veteran. Comfortable, confident. Lewis awesome. LSU, not too big. BJ, hard trying to learn system as center, most to learn of all guys. Cedric doing diff things for us. 9 more real practices before Atlanta prep. At some point make decision, combo wont’ set us back.”
[?] RW talked about emphasis on 3rd downs? New? “Need to be great in situational football. First and second down, bad play OK. third need great play. Terrific on thirds in red zone last year. Want to own that. Want to get better on third down. Mock game 6 for 6 with 1’s. Emphasis through rest of camp.”
[michael john] Advanced metrics? Consider in game plan? “we do quite a bit, have a guy in house does terrific for us. Analytics beneficial useful tool. #1 thing is we all speak the same language. Both analytic & FB people can communicate. Seeing tendencies that pop up, opponent prep. Hear report, make tape for us to confirm reports. Numbers one thing, see it live in film.”
[?] What has Olsen brought to offense as a new guy? “amazing. FB intellect. Nothing he doesn’t understand. Coach speak he can talk about. Teammate, experience he brings, excited about. We’re learning things from him – things he did in Carolina. In QB-C walk throughs he comes along.”
Olsen and Dissly together? “Same type of guy. All in, compete, FB important, selfless.”
[Gregg bell] 4/5 of starting OL changed, overall goal? “Wanted to create more competition, depth, done that. Jamarco having terrific camp. Simmons. #1 thing was competition at spot. Great w Duane and Iupati on L but seeing guys battle on other side. Tomorrow big evaluation.”
[Art Thiel] PFF pressure rate allowed 3rd worst in NFL, starting OL change, better? “#1 thing guys understand scheme – virtual offseason helped. Stats very interesting – most look at only OL. Not always. Maybe WR or TE needs to adjust. RW can hold too long. Numbers can be misleading. Protection better off than it’s been though. Hours talking through looks in Zoom. Defense throwing things at us in practice. Yes we want to improve but offense as a whole improve.”
[bob condotta] Jamal Adams, how big difference from Off standpoint? “Energy in practice, fly around, trash talk, ribbing. Energy elite. Passion. Makes a great play he gets excited, he gets excited for us when offense makes a great play. Able to disguise things well. Knowledge, experience, understanding of scheme awesome. Hard to get a read on. Think he’s going back and he blitzes. Thinks the game. makes it hard on us every day.”
[joe fann] Best TE grouping ever had? Fun with personnel? “Certainly one of the deepest groups. Greg, Dissly, Hollister terrific guy that works as hard as anybody. Willson, Sully, Colby. Thrilled. Interchangeable parts. Have those pieces. Defense approaches, whatever you do, we have answer for.”
[brady hen] RW wants ball in hands more early? “Bottom line we all know RW elite player. We want him to be involved and impact game early, start faster. How look each week? Don’t know that. Depends on opponent. Doesn’t mean he has to throw 50 yards, scrambling, could be checking out of bad play that I called. Lucky to have QB. Year 3, nothing he can’t do. But opponent base on. RW great player. Impact every game early.”
[ben Arthur] DJ Dallas PC happy, RW says he impact rookie, what seen acclimate? Excites you? “DJ was a prize recruit in college, elite athlete, known him for a long time. Extremely impressive. Loves FB, important to him, coachable. Former WR, athlete in route running, but also pass protector and runner. Every day couple plays ‘wow DJ did that there’, every day. Homer and him push each other. Special bond. Always last ones to leave field. Tremendous talent. Didn’t get as many snaps in mock game, will tomorrow. Also great to have Hyde here – pro, instincts, thrilled to have him. Room building up to be a great asset.”
[tim booth] DK year 2 what better? “Biggest thing jumps out, expectation, standard. Tireless worker. Unbelievable worker. Wants to be best of all time. Takes it personally when he doesn’t win a matchup. Doesn’t shy away. Some young players after success, relax and step out of line for 1on1s. This guy doesn’t take plays off. Attacks it, look in his eye, way he works is awesome. Earned right to speak up and call guys out. We need his voice in that regard. That’s how much I respect him as a worker and FB player.”
Love this.
Hey Rob, sorry if you’ve addressed this before, but I’m wondering your thoughts on this…
What are the chances that they trade/cut/restructure KJ and use the savings for Clowney?
I know that KJ had a surprisingly good year last year and mentally he is elite, but he’s not getting younger (though he is getting slower) and he tried the market a while back and didn’t go well for him. What I’ve heard about Brooks is that he is a fast, physical player, but I have not heard much praise about the mental side of his game. Perhaps they wanted to keep KJ around as long as possible to have that OLB knowledge rub off on Brooks and when the first game gets close, Clowney and the FO soften up a bit and get a deal done with with some of the KJ money? (And they’ll probably need to do the same with Jacob Hollister. I just can’t see that cap hit for a 3rd-string-at-best, non-blocking TE)
There’s no chance Spencer. They constantly refer to KJ as their starting WILL. If they were going to part ways they would’ve done it months ago — at the latest when they cut Britt. There won’t be a trade market on his contract and a restructure just means extending his time in Seattle when they already used a R1 pick on his replacement.
If they want Clowney they will find other ways to do it.
And to be clear, we’re better with KJ than without him. I love the guy and he has been the consummate pro, teammate, Seahawk, etc. I’m just with you in thinking that without Clowney, it all just seems incomplete. And by ‘restructure’ I meant something like, ‘let’s re-due your deal for $5 guarenteed or we’ll cut you and you’ll just get the $3.5 you’re owed.’ But I think you made it clear above that KJ is definitely in their 2020 plans. Out of curiosity, if you were running the show, what would you do to get the cap space to sign Clowney? Would you also make Hollister a cap-casualty? I like the guy and his skill set, but not at what he’s making.
“The Seahawks with Clowney have a shot. The Seahawks without Clowney look like a team who will make the playoffs as a wildcard, lose in the first couple of rounds and we’ll point the finger at one of the worst pass rushing units in the league and have the same off-season conversation we’ve had for the last two years.”
that’s the crux of it right there. crazy he’s still unsigned . . .
Good callback to Zach Miller w/r/t Olsen – – I agree, having a reliable TE is a key to Russell and the Hawks offense keeping drives alive, and leveling up. Glad to hear he’s looked solid in camp.
Zach Miller has been grossly underappreciated for how important he was to that offense! Slow as they come, but soft hands, great understanding of zones, and a reliable blocker. We really haven’t had that since (with much consistency)
This sparked a memory of something – there was something going around the twitterverse, and one of the beat writers alluded to it but didn’t have it cold enough to go on record – that Paul Allen got after PCJS for this constant rotating cast of OL’s, and that a Britt extension was a result of that.
Sorry, boys, got some business with my “other football” club to attend to… 😢
I hope this is just a power move by Messi to force the current president out… 😡
Almost seems like Brady leaving the Patriots. At first you think no way but stranger things have happened. Reunion with Guardiola or team up with Ronaldo…
Yeah, one could definitely see it coming with the absolute incompetence of the board these past few years to put together a winning project around him. The question is whether he actually is set on leaving or is just using this to basically force Bartomeu to resign.
The Ronaldo thing is just as stupid as Seahawks Twitter IMO. Juventus couldn’t carry Messi’s salary anyways, and there were already rumors that they are looking to offload Ronaldo too.
Semi-credible reports are already out that Man City wouldn’t be in for him. Despite the Pep factor, he actually wouldn’t fit their current system very well. But they would be able to afford his wages.
PSG actually seems like it could be the best fit. Play on a loaded team with Neymar and Mbappe in an easier league, make a boatload of money while making another couple runs at the Champions League.
But hey, idk if any of what I’m saying right now makes any actual sense. It’s all kind of surreal to me right now. 2020 man…
I know the whole situation is surreal. Messi at Barca for life makes more sense than just about anything rn.
Messi delivered certified mail to Barca’s president so they couldn’t claim he didn’t want to leave. He’s been unhappy with the way the team has been built/coached for years so this has been a while in coming. The interesting thing is that there is some sort of clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for nothing. He thinks that it is still in effect since the season just ended and Barca thinks it expired in June. It could get really ugly.
Green was injured his first year which led to the setback, took a leap in the 2nd. I’m happy to be optimistic about him in that context, he’s looked better every time he’s taken the field.
Green played 10 games in 2018 and was anonymous. It was nothing to do with an injury.
As for he’s looked better every time he’s taken the field… I beg to differ. He doesn’t impact games and needs a major step forward this year.
I guess we’ll have to agree to disaagree on him, I thought he was easily our best linemaan after Clowney down the stretch in 2019. I don’t think that big leap is that much of a stretch away.
But saying he was the best lineman after Clowney, again, is hardly a glowing review is it? The line was terrible. It was a one-man show. And for what it’s worth there’s no way he was better than Reed (when he returned), Woods or Jefferson.
The problem with Green is he plays in second gear. There’s no fire. He plays like he’s still enjoying the sunshine at USC. The physical talent is there but too often he goes through the motions. And I’m not convinced with him he’s ever going to wake up one day and suddenly develop a killer instinct.
I hope he proves me wrong but you’re going to have a very hard time making a case that he was good last year.
Have to agree with you there Rob on Green; perfect analogy of being in second gear. Even when he makes a play it seems to be more on talent versus fire.
But he is also a field goal blocking machine
I agree about Rasheem Green not seeming to play with fire, but Pete Carroll did say that Green played through injury during his rookie season. It was earlier this offseason, but Carroll mentioned that he played injured his entire rookie season. I tried to find the article, but after 15 minutes I became lazy, and gave up. I wanted to find it because Carroll’s mentioning the injury seemed weird; he never specified if it was the preseason injury or secondary to that.
Carroll seemed happy with Green’s progress, but I felt that he was holding back. Carroll just appeared wary of Green’s situation; left college early,injured/invisible most of his rookie season (Which should have been a redshirt-like season where he showed that if he’d stayed in college one more year, he could have been the formerly projected first round pick.), stepped up in his second year, but didn’t show enough. It seemed that Green started his pro career as a project, backslid, and instead of realizing his potential, only gave us glimpses of it. The Pete Carroll blurb I saw had his optimism, but it seemed cautious, as if Carroll was on guard of being bitten again.
Hopefully It’s Carroll’s faith in Green, and not our fear, that we see this year.
Go Hawks.
To be fair. He is only 23 years old. He came out of school way too early.
What age do you have to be to play with more fire?
He’s 23 not 19. He’s three years into his career now.
I wish we signed Clowney, Taylor Decker, drafted Cesar Ruiz, Damien Lewis and Prince Tega. We could of had at least a mostly revamped offensive line. Our worst case scenario is that we get beat up on both trenches against the 49ers, can’t stop the rams ‘stretch zone runs’ and can’t protect Russ from Chandler Jones.
I’ve always wanted to see how we’d operate with an above average offensive line.
Rasheem Green interviewed by John Clayton and Michael Bumpus. Interview starts at 19:50 till 26:50.
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/category/podcast_player/?a=84cb16a7-2bee-4ba1-9886-ac22013c61df&sid=1141&n=John+Clayton
Not the greatest interview I’ve ever heard and definitely not the most outspoken individual. You said he plays like in second gear and that’s exactly how I felt listening to him talk. No excitement or energy.
My goodness. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and I nearly passed out. I couldn’t get beyond 2 or 3 minutes.
So Green’s fitness regimen has been greatly improved by drinking water? Somebody sign that guy to a $20million a year extension right now.
https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status/1298375212304461824
Likely a broken hand, but will he miss time?
Or simply stitches due to cutting his finger while slicing strawberries (per Pete).
The Ethan Pocic/Justin Britt comparison is good, but Pocic reminds me more of Max Unger. Both were potential first round centers taken in the second round. They both played guard (Right for Unger, and left for Pocic.), and were switched to their natural position in year three.
I’d love to see Pocic play at least four years of Pro Bowl caliber center for the Seahawks as well.
Go Hawks.
The thing is Unger broke out after two seasons. Pocic is in year four, like Britt, needing to fight for his future.
Jim Kelly!!! I need to get in contact with you!!! Can you please email me???
Just saw your message.
I’ll try.
Go Hawks.
Re: Brooks.
The pick makes a lot of sense to me within the context of the division that the Seahawks play in. The Seahawks badly needed some run and chase speed at the 2nd level. The Rams and 49ers have all that motion and outside running game, and Kyler’s mobility is going to be a long-term challenge as well.
But he’s not starting this year.
Is it beyond the realms of possibility to find a ‘run and chase’ WILL next year? So that you don’t need to draft a ‘WILL of the future’?
That’s the point raised. Because Brooks isn’t starting this year. They’ve made it clear it’s KJ’s gig.
It’s possible that they wanted to have Barton replace KJ this year, but realized he wasn’t up to task.
We also run a lot of base 4-3, and do not have Kendricks this year. He played about 650 snaps last year. Bruce will play some via SAM, but probably half of those still need to be accounted for. Barton only logged 151 snaps at LB last year, and still managed to have multiple (bad) highlight reel plays.
If KJ or Bobby were to miss time, our LB group would go from one of the best to barely average by plugging in Baron full time.
Seems Pete is trying to build this D from back to front, which puts a bigger emphasis on not having such a cliff of a talent drop-off if Bobby/KJ can’t go. I think we know that this is very likely Bruce & KJ’s last year with us, and Barton doesn’t look like a long-term answer. Even if he were, we would still be short a body for our base defense.
I don’t think they looked to build it back to front.
People assume that now because of the Adams trade.
Their top two picks were front seven and they started the off-season saying the D-line and Clowney was the priority.
Maybe that wasn’t the plan originally, but we’ve traded for 3/4 of our secondary (Adams/Diggs/Dunbar) along with spending a 2nd rounder on Blair and a 1st (Brooks) and 3rd (Barton) while also paying $25M to Bobby and KJ.
That’s a ton of resources devoted to our back 7.
Blair and Barton may be (maybe not) whiffs, but they went out and spent 3+ first rounders addressing that. It sure seems to be a priority, versus what they’ve done with the DL.
Pete can say fixing the DL is a priority, but their actions don’t reflect that. Their actions show a priority on the back 7.
Yes they’ve spent a lot on the back seven.
But just because they traded for Jamal Adams and he cost a lot doesn’t mean they planned to build back to front.
That just means they traded for a good player who was available.
For all we know if it was a top pass rusher available they likely would’ve traded for them.
And I’m not going to recycle the same debate on why the D-line was a priority and why they didn’t or weren’t able to address it properly. Everyone could see the pass rush needed fixing as a massive priority including the team. Nobody saw the Clowney stalemate. There’s the crux of the matter.
Maybe back to front wasn’t the plan originally, but it sure seems to be what they’ve pivoted to.
I’m not trying to argue that the DL is fine and needs no improvement. Even with Clowney, it’s marginally better than last year. As currently constructed, it is likely one of the worst DL in the league. I just don’t think Pete prioritizes it, as he says – else we wouldn’t be here: minus $60M in FA spending, an entire draft class worth of picks plus two future #1 picks and a #3 later with the DL as it is. They spent everywhere BUT the DL, and still don’t have a serviceable backup DT.
Maybe John thinks it is a market inefficiency, in that the only true difference makers you can get on DL are top 15 picks or $20M/year guys.
I just don’t see how Pete can claim with any sincerity that fixing the DL is a priority, only to swap QJeff, Woods, Ansah & potentially Clowney (strictly due to not wanting to pay him) for Irvin, Mayowa and a 2nd round rookie (who they knew was injured).
Maybe it is just that they thought they had Clowney locked up and got caught with their pants down. Even if that’s the case, that isn’t “prioritizing” the DL. That’s thinking you can coast on a barely good enough DL if you can improve in other areas to get you over the top.
You’re trying way too hard to turn this into a ‘plan’ rather than merely an opportunity to get Jamal Adams.
Are you saying that they just decided to get Adams, with no plan in mind?
You don’t mortgage the future of two draft classes on a guy, just because he was available. Calais was available. Yannick is available. Jurrell Casey was available. Not to mention all of the FA who were and still are available.
We could have had the three names above for picks 2, 4, 6 by all accounts. THAT would have been prioritizing the DL. Instead we’ve spent three #1 picks, a 5th and a future 3rd on S/LB/CB. It seems pretty obvious to me that they changed their plans when Clowney didn’t sign.
They traded for Adams because he’s available. Them trading for him doesn’t suddenly mean they’re building from back to front. It’s that simple.
Ngakoue isn’t as good.
You’re trying too hard to attach an overall plan to the acquisition of a good player.
I don’t think so. I’m looking at what they have actually done and drawing a conclusion. You’re looking at what Pete told reporters they were going to do (and didn’t) and taking it at face value.
Fixing the DL may have indeed been the plan going into the off-season. It may also have been entirely screwed up, simply due to Clowney. Fixing the DL did not happen though. Mission failed. It doesn’t matter what Pete said in an interview months ago.
What did happen is we’ve improved the safeties, the DB’s, the LB’s, and hopefully the offense. A case can be made that we’ve improved literally every facet of the team apart from making the DL somehow worse.
We’re 2.5 weeks away from opening day with no Clowney and no DT depth… I’m surprised that you still think that fixing the DL is the current plan.
*I hope this is coming across as debate/discussion and not purely argumentative. I respect and value your opinion, I just disagree with you on this one.
Again, you’re seeing one trade and inserting a plan.
They traded for Jamal Adams. That’s it.
They haven’t chosen to ‘build from back to front’.
I seem to recall Pete making a comment about the draft where they’re looking for guys to make an impact year 2 and year 3. Not sure if this is a byproduct of draft positions or by design (hence trading back). I thought Brooks was drafted to replace KJ next year and eventually Bobby (potentially). I think they tried to trade back, but GB ruined that plan. Ideally a nice R1 prospect would fall to them, but hasn’t been the case.
I think there were plenty of nice R1 prospects available this year to be fair.
I certainly agree- and would clarify my comment to mean more narrowly positions they targeted. Trying to make sense of their drafting strategy recently, as an understatement, is difficult.
As a separate aside, they seem to place high importance on trust in players who know the system and execute the assignment. They also don’t trust rookies very much to perform these needs.
Preach Rob! Any way the hawks can get to the championship round with an offense that passes and a defense that will get gouged but maybe knock people out? -wince- Ugh I think Clowney has us by the short and curlies and no one will yield until we see what happens early in the league from a Covid standpoint.
Great write-up Rob, I agree with everything you say. What do you think the holdup is with Clowney? Is it the number of years, the guaranteed money, the actual dollar amount? We could realistically offer him 3/$60 with say $40m guaranteed and somehow structure it to fit, but I wonder if Clowney doesn’t like the fact that we’re doing that? Is it all about the 3 year 60m that makes him the highest paid player to massage his ego and that we’re trying to short-change him? Just curious what your thoughts are.
The holdup is simple — he wants a certain amount and no team has offered it.
I get that, but what do you think he wants? It seems like we’d be able to meet his demands any way we structure it. Maybe it’s the guaranteed amount they’re quibbling over? I don’t get that part of it.
I don’t know what he wants. Nobody does in the media either. Not really.
Hopefully they can find some common ground.
I think you’re about $8M too high on a 3-year deal.
I’ve thought for months that a 3-year, $52M deal would get him back in the fold. Structure-wise, I’d say something like the following:
* $18M signing bonus
* $2M base in 2020; $8M cap hit
* $4M base in 2021 + $8M in roster bonuses; $18M cap hit; $12M dead money if released
* $6M base in 2022 + $14M in roster bonuses; $26M cap hit; $6M dead money if released
Net cash to Clowney in 2020 would be the $20M he originally wanted so he can claim that he “won”.
Average for 3 years would be $17.33M which seems reasonably close to what he’s probably “worth” to the Seahawks (and where his current asking price is alleged to be). And, if he were released (or signed to a new extension) after the 2021 season, it ends up being a 2-year, $32M deal which is only $1M a year more than Seattle is reported to have offered him initially.
Win-win.
And, theoretically, depending on what other moves are made, there could be enough cap room left over to sign “Snacks” or another quality DT and eliminate the biggest concern about this year’s team in the process.
I know he’s not John L. Williams but all this hype about Deejay Dallas has got to be bad news for Nick Bellore.
It’s got nothing to do with Bellore.
There’s a home for Dallas among the RB’s and special teams.
Right now. But eventually Penny is going to get healthy.
But who knows when that will be and who else will be healthy.
Dallas’ future is not tied to Bellore.
What can Nick Bellore do other than block?
great special teams player
Special teams is how rookies make it.
In Cincinnati or Detroit maybe.
Not in Seattle, Baltimore, Philly or New England.
You’re so wrong I can’t even be arsed to explain why (again).
Seattle has always relied on vets for special teams under PC. It’s the reason Niko Thorpe is still on the team.
Seattle has had a fullback every year that Pete’s coached the team; I don’t see 2020 being the first exception to that. Thus, by default, Bellore makes the team (and sticks with the team all year unless they bring in a different FB) and Deejay Dallas’s future is a completely different question.
This statement is killing me. I hope brooks is as good as Bobby.
“There were a cluster of good offensive lineman available. Imagine pairing Damien Lewis with either the brilliantly physical Robert Hunt or his LSU team mate Lloyd Cushenberry. Or they could’ve moved up a handful of spots to get Cesar Ruiz”
The opportunities to improve the offense, while spending picks on defensive players who aren’t performing – is just killing me!
But in all fairness they have had a tough time drafting tackles too.
Unsettled OL is my biggest concern. If you are going to have to have comebacks due potential defensive woes (lack of DL potency) then you better be able to run the ball.. and if all else fails.. let Russ cook. With poor OL play, neither can happen with regularity. Perhaps 2 TE sets can offset this OL weakness, but that is less than ideal.. and the need for a 3rd dynamic WR would be reduced… since, you wouldn’t have time to get the dude the ball even if you wanted to…. Also: Hyde was one of the key additions in my opinion. The dude can play.
I don’t know why that would be anyone’s biggest concern.
Wilson has thrived behind even the worst lines. It might be unsettled but this is not the worst line he’s had. Far from it.
The DL on the other hand can end their season.
I couldn’t agree more.
Seattle may have the TOP group of linebackers and arguably a Top-3 or Top-5 secondary, but if the D-line can’t stop the run, pressure the quarterback, force mistakes, and disrupt plays then eventually the back-seven are going to fold. And even with the improvements on offense, Seattle isn’t going to win a bunch of 50-point shootouts.
Conversely, I’m reminded of a banged up Russell Wilson with a brace on his leg leading the team to wins behind a typically unstellar o-line and know that while the o-line is ALWAYS a concern, Russ ALWAYS “finds a way” and this year will be no different. Plus, I am actually “cautiously optimistic” about this year’s o-line … especially if they resign Justin Britt to a team-friendly deal.
NFL Draft: 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41
This guy haunts me to this day, what could have been
I’ve never fully understood the Seahawk’s propensity to get cute on the offensive line. I suppose they are trying to find an adequate unit on the cheap, though it seems like they blew a lot of cap to come up with the most adequate mediocre I like that Pocic is getting a chance to play center, since he did pretty well there in college playing in the SEC. Max Unger was a center, was tasked to play guard his first year or two, and then thrived once he moved back to center. I’m kind of like that one caller into 710 ESPN (Is it Doug from Tacoma) who asked, “Can we just draft a guard?!). I think Pocic wins the job. I also hope we can re-sign Britt, and then cut some of the silly OL additions we made this offseason and recoup some money.
*adequate mediocre fill-ins they could find
If they can sign P-Rich to what is essentially a non-guaranteed deal for insurance purposes, I don’t know why they wouldn’t do it.
Concerning Brooks: If we had picked Taylor in the first round and ended up drafting Brooks in the second (I don’t think he would have lasted to the spot we traded up to), I’m not sure we’d even have the conversation. If we got the guys we wanted, then we got the guys we wanted regardless of their draft status. I don’t think it was wasted draft capital that we got him in the first. He has speed, pretty good instincts, and was compared to Bobby Wagner by Bobby Wagner’s coach. If he lives up to the billing, we drafted a future pro-bowler. If I’m not mistaken, the draft happened before we signed Bruce Irvin. The fact that we got Bruce might have changed the immediate plan for Brooks. At this point, if something happened to K.J. or Bruce, I’m assuming Brooks would probably be next in line. If they move Bruce to DE on certain downs, then perhaps Brooks subs in at LB.
–
Bruce signed long before the draft.
I’ll just ask the same question again. Is a ‘WILL of the future’ worth a R1 pick?
Rob, will you be surprised if Brooks turn out to be next Bobby Wagner?
I’ll be as surprised about that as I would be any rookie going on to become the best player at his position.
That response made me smile :). But I think the question was more “what if Brooks is Seattle’s next MIDDLE linebacker (and the “QB” of the D)?
Well they love Bobby so if it happens it’ll be a long way down the road.
I’m curious why everyone is rushing Brooks. K.J. Wright is and Bobby are going to miss a few games.
K.J.’s starts since being drafted in 2011: 16, 15, 13, 16, 16, 16, 15, FIVE, 16.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…but this is is K.J.’s TENTH year in the league.
Ask Cliff Avril what that means.
This is Bobby Wagner’s starts since 2012: 15, 14, 11, 15, 16, 16, 15, 16
It is highly unlikely that either K.J. or Bobby will start 16 games. I’m looking at that FIVE in K.J.’s ninth year and looking at Bobby’s ninth year TBD.
The pick of Brooks is just another brick in the wall of this supremely confounding offseason.
Yes you need depth at LB but the Seahawks drafted Brooks a year after trading up for Cody Barton, and drafting Ben B-K. And two years after drafting Shaquem Griffin.
That’s a pretty fat statement that they blew those draft picks. And yet, they have signed Irvin to have 3 starting quality LBs and have those 3 LBs behind them. It’s a deep position group for the Seahawks (while the cubbard is bare in other essential areas), and they STILL decided to augment it with their first pick in the draft.
Then to add insult to injury, they augmented another deep position group (safety) by trading a king’s ransom for Jamal Adams.
And while the OL has question marks (in a draft where excellent tackles were available at their pick) and the DL is one Jarran Reed injury away from absolute disaster.
So, if the Hawks prioritized Brooks over guys in positions of dire need who might readily contribute to the team sooner, he’d damn well better be Ray Lewis Jr or Mike Singletary Jr. And from all early indications, he’s not.
There are no early indications. Nobody has seen him play and nobody will until he hits the field in a game. He is blocked by KJ sure but that says nothing about him as a player. He may yet force their hand this year but the off-season issues haven’t helped. Yes they had other positions of need but that is independent of his play quality
I think they picked Brooks because the D looked slow last year – and we needed to upgrade the speed at the 2nd level. As we’ve all noted – too many RB, TE and other short yardage passes went for longer than we’d like in our defensive style. And we are saying Will of the future – but that future is likely no further away than next year – and it’s not like we spent a top-10 pick on that position – it’s a bottom of the 1st round pick.
And I think it’s sort of piling on to say they blew the BBK or Shaquem picks – those are 5th rounders, no team nails those picks w any sort of consistency. Even Barton (who does look like a dud) was a 3rd rounder, and those are also far from sure things.
All that said – I they would have picked a D-lineman in rd 1 if there was a player there they had graded at that level. Time will tell if they missed someone who pans out in the league.
Not sure I agree with your conclusion.
Wright has started 16 games 5 of his 9 seasons and started 15 games two of the other four. So, statistically, he’s started 15 or 16 games 78% of the time and even with the season where he only played in 5 games, he’s played in 89% of the Seahawks’ regular season games since he was drafted. And, aside from the season where he only played 5 games (due to a knee injury), the LEAST # of games he’s played is 13. Therefore, my assumption is that, barring injury, he’s going to play at least 15 or 16 games again this year. Guess we’ll see who’s right (or Wright, if you want to be pun-y).
Wagner, likewise, has started either 15 or 16 games during 6 of his 8 seasons with a low of 11 games and the final season being 14 games. For his career, he’s played in 92% of all the Seahawks’ games since he was drafted. I think I’ll write him in for 15 or 16 games (+ playoffs) again this year too.
Great article Rob.
Generally the last two years I’ve picked Dissly late in my fantasy drafts and looked like a genius until he got hurt. But I’m curious this year, if Dissly can stay healthy all year, will he be able to keep his previous pace with Olsen in the fold, or is Olsen a potential late sleeper to target, or is it better to avoid them both as they won’t be able to put up the numbers with both of them in need of targets?
I’m thinking without a WR3, there might be enough targets to go around for both, I just don’t know who is the one to target. Who are you all targetting?
Regarding Brooks getting on the field this year there were some reports early of him running with the firsts in nickle with KJ doing the work in base. I know he wasnt supposed to be much of a cover LB but Pete and John didn’t seem to agree post draft.
There was also some talk of playing all of Bobby, KJ, Irvin and Brooks at the same time in certain situations. Potentially against the 9ers who you have to keep lots of LBs on the field because of all the heavy personnel they run on Offence, so a “nickle” look against them could include Bruce at LEO and all 3 linebackers playing behind them.
I do find it a tad frustrating that there isnt a clearer role for our RD1 pick this year however. I guess you just have to believe they loved the player that much and hope they’re right about it.
Good article. I think Brooks was just the BPA (at least on defense) since they couldn’t move back. I hope they let Brooks play since he (unlike KJ) can address some of biggest weaknesses last year (speed on the edge to stop the run plus he is an outstanding blitzer). But he will pay dividends next year as KJ comes off the books for sure and the ability (along with our other picks) to move on from Bobby if he doesn’t live up to his massive contract. That will allow us to spend $ and our few draft picks elsewhere. And I am way more comfortable with Shell and Cedric that a rookie with no minicamp or preseason starting next to another rookie. I still think we add more to the DL (which is better constructed than last year already) but am getting nervous as most of the obvious options have gone away. I saw an article the other day that claimed that Clowney basically wasn’t responding to his representatives when teams were trying to negotiate. Hope that changes if true.
Listen to Jake Heaps on the Brock & Salk podcast this week discussing what he’s seen in camp.
He called the D-line “scary” and voiced major, major concerns.
Jake is not someone who often speaks in these terms about the Seahawks. So it was telling.
My biggest takeaway from this what that he was more concerned with them in terms of defending the run than the pass. Seems most are focused on the pass rush. Granted, he was concerned with both.
For me it was the brutal honesty about the line overall. It was refreshing to hear someone say it how it clearly is. There was no papering over the cracks. He said they look crap and ‘can’t be done’ improving the line.
I’ve said it a million times. It will cost the Seahawks the 2020 season if they don’t act ASAP.
Rob, you have mention DL/Pass rush issue again and again. I’m hoping PC/JS understand that too and has some solid plan to fix it before game 1. There is some activity going around Clowney, let’s hope it start with signing him. I think they have someone for DT during 53 roster cut. finger crossed can’t wait to hear from you the day both things happens. I really want to hear Hawks forecast from you once we cover DL issue.
Just listened to it Rob. Man oh man, you were right about Heaps’s concerns about the d line. How can the Hawks really think this d line is even average or mediocre? It’s thin depth wise and lacks any top end person that demands attention. It could be one of the worst units of any team in the NFL this season.
If they did put all their eggs into the Clowney basket, then it’s been months since they should’ve realized that it wasn’t going to work out. Where was the contingency plan? Irvin and Mayowa don’t constitute a contingency plan. They’re veteran depth, not starters. Where was the effort to go get a bonafide starter, a true matchup problem? If the DL were even average I’d say this team wins 11 or 12 games, but as it stands I’d say they win 9 based purely on Russ.
I don’t expect anything to happen between now and Week 1 @ ATL. The local sports media are too soft and won’t ask Pete to justify or explain this befuddling offseason. In fact the local sports media is basically unable to report on anything specific now that the Hawks, and other teams, instituted a lockdown of sorts to get ready for the regular season.
I’m beyond frustrating with this offseason, it’s now at the laughable stage for me.
Honestly, good on Heaps. He had made his career being quite the Russ and then Seahawk shill. If he is in a position now not to cheerlead and give an honest answer that is nice to hear. I wonder if his insider type knowledge gives any weight to the “Their not done on the DL” comment or if he is just wishing like the rest of us.
He sounded exasperated —- the tone was ‘surely they are going to do something???’
That was me hoping that he wasn’t just hoping…
Given that Jake Heaps is Russell Wilson’s personal quarterback coach, I wonder how much of what Mr. Heaps is saying is a reflection of what Mr. Wilson is thinking (but would never publicly say) …..
Indeed.
Do you think they can afford Gordon & Clowney?
How about a DT?…
The Hawks need to cut a bunch of these low end free agents (Hollister, Moore Etc) they brought in this off season and make 3 moves like ASAP.
– Clowney on a long term deal with a low 1st year cap hit
– Sign a quality veteran DT like Darius or Mebane
– As soon as he is reinstated sign Josh Gordon
Then pray that Reed and Ford stay healthy and that the two rookie DEs can contribute.
They’re not going to hack away at their depth.
They can afford to make moves now. They just need to be willing to commit multiple years to Clowney (2-3). It’s simple.
I agree depth is important but unless the fix the DL it won’t matter.
https://twitter.com/mlombardiNFL/status/1298673412211187713
I’ve heard he is being quite the pain as well. Bus Cook cannot even get him on the phone at times to talk. He’s tuned everyone out. I’m sure all his reps are tired and have tried to get him to sign.
Source for that? Link?
It was from Charles Robinson on the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast.
Speaking on Clowney: “He is his own person, and everybody is just following that lead. …I think there are people within his camp who are, like, perplexed at what is going on right now and whether or not he is ever going to come around to the reality of whatever the number is out there.”
Speaking on Cook: “there have been times he could not get Jadeveon Clowney to either answer or communicate”.
https://heavy.com/sports/seattle-seahawks/2020/08/jadeveon-clowney-seahawks-rumors-asking-price/
Spot on as usual Rob. This offseason has been an unmitigated disaster. If we’re being honest, things haven’t been good for quite awhile. But I’ll always love and respect John and Pete for 2010-2014. Just keeping it real, we are wasting (have wasted) a HOF QB’s best years.